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Singapore's PSI hits high of 79, sparks health warning
Leong Wai Kit Channel NewsAsia 7 Sep 12;
SINGAPORE: Singapore registered its worst level of air pollution for the year on Friday as smoke from forest fires in Indonesia blew over the city-state, triggering a health warning.
Singapore's three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit a high of 79 at 7am on Friday. The air began to clear later in the morning thanks to favourable winds.
The PSI fell to a reading of 33 at noon, before climbing to 52 at 5pm.
A PSI reading of 0-50 indicates air quality is "good", 51-100 is "moderate" while anything above 100 is considered "unhealthy".
"For the past one week, an increase in hotspot activities was observed over Sumatra," the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in its latest update.
"The current prevailing winds blowing from the southwest or south have transported the haze from fires in southern Sumatra towards Singapore," referring to the Indonesian island.
It said hazy conditions could still recur and advised people with heart or lung disease, children and older adults aged 65 and above to avoid all physical activity outdoors.
"Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion," NEA added.
Fires in Indonesia are mostly concentrated in the provinces of Jambi and South Sumatra.
The haze caused by the fires builds up during the dry season when farmers clean their land by burning, affecting tourism and contributing to health problems across the region.
Indonesia's government has outlawed land-clearing by fire but weak law enforcement means the ban is largely ignored.
As Singapore braces for more hazy days ahead, the NEA will provide hourly updates of the three-hour PSI reading from 7am to 7pm daily to keep the public informed more regularly of the haze situation.
Meanwhile businesses and the organisers of a major marathon said there are contingency plans in place.
Organisers of the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon 2012 said they are ready to cancel the event on Sunday morning if the PSI reaches an unhealthy level by Saturday evening.
Participants are advised to check the SAFRA website for more information.
One bicycle rental shop at a beach attraction said it is considering giving out masks to its customers.
Others with back-up plans include the Singapore Flyer.
Singapore Flyer's senior manager for guest services, Henry Loo, said: "If the haze is bad, it will be a national problem. Everybody will be advised to stay indoors. So, we will definitely discourage our visitors from boarding the capsules. But, for those visitors who have already purchased tickets, we will encourage them to come back another day, or if they insist, we will refund them."
The public can access PSI updates through the following channels:
a) Weather@SG website at www.weather.nea.gov.sg/
b) twitter.com/neasg
c) NEA Call Centre at 1800 CALL NEA (1800 2255 632)
d) NEA iPhone/Android App myENV
- CNA/AFP/xq/al/ir
Hourly PSI readings until haze ends
Jennani Durai Straits Times 8 Sep 12;
WITH the haze worsening yesterday, the authorities have started providing hourly updates to keep the public better informed.
Previously, readings of the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) were taken only at 8am, noon and 4pm daily, and they reflected 24-hour averages.
Since yesterday, readings have been taken hourly, and they reflect the average of the PSI readings for the previous three hours.
Readings from 7am to 7pm will be posted on the National Environment Agency's (NEA) website.
Such hourly readings will be more relevant because shifting winds could cause the haze situation to change at any time, said a spokesman for NEA.
Yesterday's readings hit a high of 79 at 7am - the highest so far this year. It was outside the good range of 0 to 50, and within the moderate range of 51 to 100.
On Thursday, the last readings taken at 4pm ranged from 58 to 64 across the island.
NEA attributed the haze to an increase in hot spots over Sumatra earlier this week.
It added, however, that the haze situation improved later in the day yesterday.
The wind direction had changed since Thursday evening - with winds blowing from the south-east and south instead of south-west - bringing about better air quality and visibility.
The latest PSI reading, publicised at 7pm last night, was 52.
NEA expects burning activities in southern Sumatra to continue in the week ahead due to dry weather. "We might still experience hazy conditions on some days if the wind direction changes to southwesterly," it said.
It said that even though the current PSI readings have not reached an unhealthy level, those with heart and respiratory ailments, the elderly and children are advised to reduce physical exertion and outdoor activities.
A spokesman said hourly readings will be made available until the haze goes away.
The haze is an annual occurrence caused by farmers and logging companies in Indonesia - particularly in Riau, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Jambi and Aceh - burning forests to clear land for cultivation between June and September, the region's dry season.
But while the haze might have been a talking point, outdoor restaurants and tourist attractions have reported no significant dip in patronage in the past few days.
Ms Lily Hamid, the marketing manager for the 1-Rochester Group, said the haze was especially noticeable at 1-Altitude in Raffles Place because the bar is 282m above the ground.
"Some guests have said that there was a smoky smell in the air, but all our guests who booked al fresco tables have maintained their bookings," she said.
The Singapore Flyer and SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands remain open. A Flyer spokesman said that the number of visitors had not dropped, and it would act if the PSI exceeded 100.
Ticket refunds would be given, or guests would be encouraged to come back another time.
Ms Alicia Seah, a senior vice-president for marketing and public relations at CTC Travel, said the haze is unlikely to deter tourists from coming as it is not a prolonged problem.
A spokesman for the Singapore National Games said information on air quality will be relayed regulary to all those involved. Netball, football, athletics and swimming competitions will be held outdoors this weekend.
Cloud seeding in Jambi after disrupted flights
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja Straits Times 8 Sep 12;
JAKARTA - Indonesia started a cloud-seeding operation yesterday in Jambi after flights into the province were disrupted.
The operation coincided with the local authorities' appeal to residents in the provincial capital to go out of their houses only for essential purposes as choking haze enveloped the city.
"The operation will run for 30 days and cost a total of 3.35 billion rupiah (S$430,000)," Mr Heru Widodo, the most senior bureaucrat in charge of cloud-seeding operations across Indonesia, said in an SMS reply to The Straits Times.
Satellite images yesterday showed that the number of hot spots in the country's most forest fire-prone provinces - Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra - has declined in recent days. But haze spawned by earlier fires stayed above some areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
The number of hot spots in these three provinces peaked in the three-day period that ended on Monday, when a total of 733 hot spots were detected, substantially higher than the 110 in the previous three-day span.
The effects seen in Singapore on Thursday were likely from forest fires concentrated in the southern part of Sumatra, including Jambi, according to West Kalimantan-based weather forecaster Suriandi.
The PSI in Singapore hit 64 in the northern and eastern parts on Thursday, and ranged between 58 and 61 elsewhere.
The readings yesterday ranged from 57 in the east to 68 in the north.
Yesterday, flights leaving and going into the Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin airport in Jambi were delayed for four hours until 10am as visibility dropped to below 1.5km, according to Jambi Deputy Mayor Sum Indra.
In Jambi, visibility during early morning hours up to 9am often falls below 1.5km due to morning fog and the lack of wind, Jambi-based weather forecaster Muhamad Nur told The Straits Times. It normally rises to above 5km at around noon and in the afternoon, helped by the sunlight and winds that blow at this time, he added.
Jambi has been practically blanketed by haze in the past month, but rain late last month helped to clear the air for a few days. In recent days, the haze has come back, and even intensified.
"If anyone must go out of the house, especially children, they should put on a mask as the haze would affect breathing," Mr Sum said in an interview with Jakarta-based Elshinta radio.
The municipal government started to distribute free masks yesterday to residents in certain parts of the city as part of the mask wearing campaign, and expects other residents to obtain masks themselves.
Most fires were not spontaneous fires, Mr Sum said.
"Many farmers like to burn their farmland ahead of the rainy season in October, believing it will boost fertility. This is an old-fashioned way of farming and must immediately be dropped," he told Elshinta radio.
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Thailand: Phuket ocean trash inflicting mayhem on turtles
Phuket Gazette 7 Sep 12;
The turtle rescued yesterday also had a severed flipper and deep cuts inflicted by a discarded fishing net. Photo: Phuket Marine Biological Center
PHUKET: A turtle with one flipper severed and another suffering a deep cut inflicted by discarded fishing nets was recovered from Karon Beach yesterday.
The discovery brought to 24 the total number of turtles rescued from Phuket and Phang Nga beaches in the past two months alone.
Lifeguards patrolling Karon Beach found the turtle stranded in the sand near Karon Circle yesterday morning.
Both of the turtle’s front flippers were injured from fishing nets. The right front flipper had been severed and its left front flipper had a deep cut through the muscle.
The turtle is now being nursed at Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC).
Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, who heads the PMBC’s Endangered Species Unit, explained to the Phuket Gazette that, “The turtle was an adult female Olive Ridley measuring 68 centimeters long. We will administer her antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication, just as we have done with the other sea turtles we have rescued.
“Some of them have needed operations because their flippers were cut off or cut to the bone by fishing nets, but they are all alive and receiving treatment at the center,” he said.
Dr Kongkiat said 24 adult female Olive Ridley sea turtles had washed ashore since July, with 21 of them requiring medical treatment for cuts and wounds caused by the nets.
“Some of them even lost their legs,” he said.
The remaining three are recovering from being caked in oil dumped into the ocean.
“All the turtles rescued were females ready to mate. I think there will be far fewer Olive Ridley eggs laid on our beaches this year than in previous years because we're only two months into the mating season and already 24 turtles have been stranded,” Dr Kongkiat said.
“I have reported this to the PMBC director and asked him to launch a campaign to help stop trash and used oil from being dumped into the sea,” he added.
Scuba divers and others interested in the plight of marine life around Phuket will have an opportunity later this month to help in what may be the largest reef clean-up ever to be staged here. Details of 'Dive Against Debris' are available here and, in greater detail, on the organizer's Facebook page.
The clean-up is sponsored by the Phuket Gazette and will be covered on national television (UBC/True Visions, channel 99) by the Gazette's new show 'Phuket Today'. The show airs six times per week. For the schedule, see October's True Visions programming guide.
Phuket businesses interested in joining the Gazette as a sponsor of 'Dive Against Debris' are invited to contact any local PADI dive center, or Tony Andrews, Regional Manager of PADI, by email. tony.andrews@padi.com.au
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Huge new nature reserves are needed to save species, says UN
Without massive protected areas for wildlife, the world will not be able to prevent rampant species loss, according to new analysis
Fiona Harvey guardian.co.uk 7 Sep 12;
The world must look to designate an area twice the size of Argentina as nature reserves, or we will have little chance of establishing enough protected areas for wildlife and fish to stave off a disastrous loss of species, according to an analysis of natural and marine reserves.
In the 20 years from 1990 to 2010, the amount of land with protected status rose from 8.8% to 12.7%, while the amount of sea protected was increased from 0.9% to 4%, according to a report by the United Nations environment programme (Unep) and others, published at the World Conservation Congress on Friday.
Yet according to international targets adopted in 2010, that proportion must increase to 17% and 10% respectively by the end of this decade. On current rates of progress, this target looks very unlikely to be met. In order to meet the goals – which some analysts say will not even be enough to prevent rampant species loss – an area more than twice the size of Argentina would have to be designated on land as reserves, and at sea an area greater than Australia would need to be put under marine protection in order to meet the internationally set targets.
The report also concluded that about half of the world's important sites for biodiversity are still unprotected.
Julia Marton-Lefèvre, director-general of the IUCN, which is hosting the conference and co-authored the report, said establishing reserves and other forms of protection was an effective way of conserving species that are under threat. "Protected areas have contributed significantly to conservation of the world's biodiversity and an increase in their coverage and effectiveness is vital to a thriving planet and communities for the future. These rich natural areas are very important for people, who rely on them for food and clean water, climate regulation and reducing the impacts of natural disasters."
According to the report, much progress has been made in setting up and governing protected areas. But the wide range of ways of designating nature reserves in different countries, and the difficulty of establishing marine reserves, which often require cross-border cooperation and fraught negotiations over fishing rights, has made it hard to judge how well these initiatives are functioning.
Also at the conference, the World Bank's vice president for sustainable development, Rachel Kyte, issued a challenge to conservation groups, calling on them to forge closer links with businesses in order to achieve their aims. Conservation organisations have long been suspicious of businesses, seeing them as more likely to exploit valuable species and habitats for their own gain than to strive to protect them, even if paying lip service to environmental goals. Some are also reluctant to follow the World Bank's lead in attempting to put a value on the natural world, as a way of encouraging governments and the private sector to protect natural resources.
But Kyte said that the future for conservation lay in co-operating with the business world, and called on activists to "get out of their comfort zones". She said: "The need for action is overcoming global political sclerosis. Companies working in developing countries are increasingly investing in biodiversity expertise, in community development, environmental restoration and long-term conservation capacity building."
The two-week conference, held every four years, is expected to have 10,000 visitors. Some of the more controversial subjects to be discussed include the issue of conservation groups such as the IUCN working more closely with, and receiving funding, from businesses.
Protected areas for wildlife expand to size of Russia
Reuters Yahoo News 7 Sep 12;
OSLO (Reuters) - Protected areas for wildlife have expanded worldwide to cover a land area the size of Russia in the past two decades, but far more parks and reserves are needed to meet a 2020 target, a study showed on Friday.
The sharp growth, as governments expanded existing areas and declared new ones, was needed to help slow a loss of animal and plant species and to conserve eco-systems which serve vital functions such as purifying water and storing greenhouse gases, it said.
"These rich natural areas are very important for people, who rely on them for food and clean water, climate regulation and reducing the impacts of natural disasters," said Julia Marton-Lefevre, head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The IUCN report, issued during a meeting of the organization in South Korea, said the areas protected had risen to 12.7 percent of the world's terrestrial area in 2010, or 17 million sq km (6.6 million sq miles), from 8.8 percent in 1990.
The United Nations has set a goal of protected areas reaching 17 percent of land area by 2020 - that would mean adding at least 6 million sq km (2.3 million sq miles) or an area about twice the size of Argentina or India, it said.
The area of the sea protected within national jurisdictions has risen more than four-fold to 4 percent, from 0.9 percent in 1990, but is also far short of a U.N. goal of 10 percent by 2020. Reaching the target would require adding marine areas the size of Australia.
Protected areas also vary widely in their effectiveness, according to the study by IUCN, which includes governments, scientists and activists.
"Some of the world's protected areas are properly managed but many, many of them aren't," Trevor Sandwith, director of the IUCN's Global Protected Areas Programme, told Reuters.
One possible option to meet the U.N. target would be to recognize more of the land that is under the control of indigenous peoples as protected, he said. Indigenous peoples were often better at conserving territory than governments.
Sandwith said U.N. climate negotiations had failed to agree a financial reward for governments which protect rainforests, putting a brake on conservation efforts.
Trees soak up carbon as they grow and release it when they burn or rot. Deforestation, from the Amazon Basin to the Congo, may account for 17 percent of all greenhouse gases from human activities, according to some government estimates.
Talks on a new global deal to fight climate change, which may include forest carbon, are making slow progress. The United Nations' goal is to strike an agreement by 2015 which will come into effect in 2020.
(Reporting By Alister Doyle; Editing by Pravin Char)
Launch of a new report on Protected Areas
IUCN 7 Sep 12;
Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, 7 September, 2012 (IUCN) – Protected Areas –parks, nature reserves and other natural areas– assist in reducing deforestation, habitat and species loss, and support the livelihoods of over one billion people, while containing 15 % of the world’s carbon stock, according to a new report released today at the World Conservation Congress.
The Protected Planet Report 2012 finds that protected areas are growing in number and coverage of the earth’s surface, today comprising 12.7% of the world’s terrestrial area and 1.6% of the global ocean area.
“Protected areas have contributed significantly to conservation of the world’s biodiversity and an increase in their coverage and effectiveness is vital to a thriving planet and communities for the
future,“ says IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre. “These rich natural areas are very important for people, who rely on them for food and clean water, climate regulation and reducing the impacts of natural disasters.”
The new report measures progress against the Aichi Targets, a set of goals released two years ago by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that included the objective of at least 17 % of the world’s terrestrial areas and 10 % of the world’s marine areas be effectively and equitably managed and conserved by 2020. The new report has been produced through a collaborative effort between IUCN and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), with other partners.
The report shows that from 1990 to 2010, global protected area coverage increased from 8.8% to 12.7% in terrestrial areas (including inland waters) and from 0.9% to 4% in marine areas under national jurisdiction. Current numbers, however, are well behind the Aichi targets, with under 13 % of the world’s terrestrial areas protected today, and just 1.6 % of the world’s ocean areas protected.
An area more than twice the size of Argentina comprising more than 6 million square kilometers of land and inland waters would have to be recognized as protected to meet the Aichi target. For oceans, an area more than the size of Australia comprising 8 million square kilometers would need to be recognized.
Protected areas are, however, diversifying rapidly in areas critical to their success, such as management and governance arrangements. According to the report, nearly half of the world’s protected areas are within sustainable-use areas and protected landscapes / seascapes, and nearly a quarter are managed by non-governmental actors or under co-management arrangements, often with indigenous peoples or local communities.
This is the first edition of the Protected Planet Report. It is scheduled to be published every two years, with the next edition planned in time for the IUCN World Parks Congress and the CBD COP (Conference of Parties) 12 in 2014. Future editions will provide updated information on progress towards the Aichi targets, as well as information on existing protected area indicators and progress towards protected areas connectivity.
Download the report: http://www.iucn.org/pa_protectedplanet
Protected areas for wildlife expand to size of Russia
Alister Doyle PlanetArk 10 Sep 12;
Protected areas for wildlife have expanded worldwide to cover a land area the size of Russia in the past two decades, but far more parks and reserves are needed to meet a 2020 target, a study showed on Friday.
The sharp growth, as governments expanded existing areas and declared new ones, was needed to help slow a loss of animal and plant species and to conserve eco-systems which serve vital functions such as purifying water and storing greenhouse gases, it said.
"These rich natural areas are very important for people, who rely on them for food and clean water, climate regulation and reducing the impacts of natural disasters," said Julia Marton-Lefevre, head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The IUCN report, issued during a meeting of the organization in South Korea, said the areas protected had risen to 12.7 percent of the world's terrestrial area in 2010, or 17 million sq km (6.6 million sq miles), from 8.8 percent in 1990.
The United Nations has set a goal of protected areas reaching 17 percent of land area by 2020 - that would mean adding at least 6 million sq km (2.3 million sq miles) or an area about twice the size of Argentina or India, it said.
The area of the sea protected within national jurisdictions has risen more than four-fold to 4 percent, from 0.9 percent in 1990, but is also far short of a U.N. goal of 10 percent by 2020. Reaching the target would require adding marine areas the size of Australia.
Protected areas also vary widely in their effectiveness, according to the study by IUCN, which includes governments, scientists and activists.
"Some of the world's protected areas are properly managed but many, many of them aren't," Trevor Sandwith, director of the IUCN's Global Protected Areas Programme, told Reuters.
One possible option to meet the U.N. target would be to recognize more of the land that is under the control of indigenous peoples as protected, he said. Indigenous peoples were often better at conserving territory than governments.
Sandwith said U.N. climate negotiations had failed to agree a financial reward for governments which protect rainforests, putting a brake on conservation efforts.
Trees soak up carbon as they grow and release it when they burn or rot. Deforestation, from the Amazon Basin to the Congo, may account for 17 percent of all greenhouse gases from human activities, according to some government estimates.
Talks on a new global deal to fight climate change, which may include forest carbon, are making slow progress. The United Nations' goal is to strike an agreement by 2015 which will come into effect in 2020.
(Reporting By Alister Doyle; Editing by Pravin Char)
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When it comes to Braddell Hill, let woods be woods
Patricia Thong Soo-Ping Today Online 7 Sep 12;
I refer to the Singapore Land Authority's letter "Felled trees were a threat to safety" (Aug 20).
I am a resident of 13 years in Braddell View and, in general, I understand the need to selectively fell trees for public safety. But in this case, what are the "significant safety threats" and to whom? As the name Braddell Hill suggests, the woods are up a small hill with low, if any, human traffic.
Even if it was deemed necessary to fell the perimeter trees, could not those in the middle have been spared?
Keeping mature trees is one way to provide scarce habitat for birds and small animals that struggle to survive in urban Singapore.
Moreover, Braddell Hill is adjacent to MacRitchie Reservoir and not far from Bukit Brown. It may thus function as a buffer or transit zone for such creatures.
The authorities should reconsider not felling the remaining trees, and let woods be woods.
Felled trees at Braddell within close proximity of residents
From Yap Chung Lee Director, Land Operations (Public), Singapore Land Authority
Today Online 9 Sep 12;
We refer to Ms Patricia Thong's letter, "When it comes to Braddell Hill, let woods be woods" (Sept 7).
Albizia trees are vulnerable to storms and prone to falling down because of their brittle wood structure and shallow root system. There have been recent reports of Albizia trees that fell as a result, causing substantial damage.
All 12 Albizia trees at Braddell Hill which must be removed are along the perimeter and not in the middle. As they are within close proximity of residents, they endanger public safety. Seven have been removed, and the rest will be removed this month.
We reassure Ms Thong that the decision was made in the interest of the public, particularly Braddell View residents, and only after consulting the National Parks Board.
The Singapore Land Authority does not remove vegetation unless absolutely necessary. Where appropriate, we will replant trees that are better able to withstand adverse weather conditions.
Related links
Save the Braddell Road forest Ong Ruici Today Online 11 Aug 12;
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Car hits wild boar in Thomson
Straits Times 7 Sep 12;
A wild boar was killed when it was hit by a car at Upper Thomson Road on Wednesday night.
The driver who was left dazed but unhurt said he was on his way home from work, Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported yesterday. The man, who identified himself only as Mr Lin, told Wanbao that the animal had dashed out suddenly from the bushes at the side of the road. The accident left his car dented.
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Singapore: PSI hits 64, highest level this year
Jennani Durai & Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja Indonesia Correspondent Straits Times 7 Sep 12;
MUCH of Singapore was blanketed in haze yesterday, which caused the PSI to soar to its highest level this year.
In the northern and eastern parts of Singapore, the reading hit a high of 64, and ranged between 58 and 61 elsewhere. This put it out of the "good" range of 0 to 50 and into the "moderate" range of 51 to 100.
But with hot spots in the Indonesian regions nearest to Singapore drastically reduced in number from earlier this week, weather experts surmised that the pollution must have been carried in by the winds blowing from Jambi or South Sumatra, which are further away.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) advised people to limit outdoor activity and said the haze should start lifting from today.
Satellite images showed the number of hot spots in Sumatra, to the south of Singapore, at a low of 21 yesterday, down from some 400 over the weekend.
In Riau, the Indonesian forest fire-prone province closest to the Republic, the number of hot spots decreased from 98 last Saturday to none yesterday.
These regions have had rain and cloud seeding operations, said Indonesian weather forecaster Warih Budilestari.
The effects seen in Singapore yesterday were likely from forest fires concentrated in the Jambi and South Sumatra provinces a few days ago, weather forecaster Supriandi from the meteorological office in West Kalimantan told The Straits Times.
Agreeing, Assistant Professor Koh Tieh Yong from the Earth Observatory of Singapore said: "It's possible that what we see now in Singapore is the result of winds carrying haze from Jambi and South Sumatra, which had a few hot spots on Wednesday. Given the speed of the wind, what's over there is approximately one day away from us."
He said haze levels in Singapore depend both on the number of hot spots and the direction of the winds, which blow predominantly from the south-east or south-west this time of the year until September or early October.
An annual occurrence, the haze is caused by farmers and logging companies burning forests to clear land for cultivation between June and September, the region's dry season.
The NEA said prevailing winds are expected to turn and blow from the south-east or south from today, which would gradually improve the hazy conditions.
Yesterday's gloomy skies were the talk of many. Ms Joyce Pereira, in her 60s, mistook the overcast skies for an impending storm. The hotel guest relations manager said the haze gave her a dry cough and watery eyes.
Civil servant Zen Lai, 24, was at a hawker centre and thought the air was choked by vendors cooking with charcoal. On leaving the place, she realised it was like that everywhere.
Haze worsens
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 7 Sep 12;
SINGAPORE - The Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) yesterday reached its highest reading so far this year, with the readings for the northern and eastern areas recorded at 64 as at 4pm yesterday.
The PSI across the island was between 58 and 64, falling in the "moderate" range. The level of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 - a very fine pollutant which can cause respiratory problems - was at 71 in the eastern region, the highest among different parts of the island.
Yesterday's hazy skies came as general practitioners TODAY spoke to reported a spike in the number of patients they are seeing for respiratory or skin problems caused by the haze.
In an update on its website, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the situation will ease gradually in the days ahead.
However, the reprieve could be temporary. "For the following week, Singapore could still experience slight hazy conditions on some days," NEA said.
The haze was due to "an increase in hotspot activities observed over Sumatra" in the past one week. "The current prevailing winds blowing from the southwest or south have transported the haze from fires in southern Sumatra towards Singapore," the agency said.
It added that the prevailing winds are "expected to turn and blow from the southeast or south and bring a gradual improvement" to the hazy conditions from today.
NEA advised everyone to "limit prolonged or heavy exertion". For children, older adults as well as people with heart or lung disease, they were advised to "reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion".
Ms Geraldine Tan, 24, who has sinus problems, said she has been experiencing breathing discomfort. "This usually happens when the haze season rolls around. I'll generally feel very uncomfortable, and start sniffling a lot more," she said.
Dr Tan Tze Lee, a GP at Edinburgh Clinic, told TODAY the number of patients he is seeing with lung discomfort has doubled. Another GP, YS Teo Family Clinic and Surgery's Dr Victor Teo, added: "There has been more cases of upper respiratory tract infections, throat irritation, pre-existing cases of asthma and even cases of eczema over the last couple of weeks."
The GPs advised the public, especially those with pre-existing conditions, not to over-exert themselves outdoors. "They can still exercise, but probably indoors, using the treadmill or weight machine, it's just not advisable to jog outside and breathe in lots of the haze, especially if they have asthma," said Dr Teo.
Singapore sees hazier skies
Sara Grosse Channel NewsAsia 6 Sep 12;
SINGAPORE: Thursday saw hazy conditions across Singapore.
The 24-hour PSI reading at 12pm was in the moderate range of 54 to 59, with the highest reading in the east.
Air quality worsened, with the PSI reading rising slightly to 64 at 4pm for areas in the north and east.
Air quality is considered unhealthy only when the PSI reading hits above 100.
Polyclinics Channel NewsAsia spoke with said they did not see an increase in patient attendance for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection cases - which are conditions that may increase due to the haze.
However, some doctors did.
Dr Chong Yeh Woei, physician, Internal Medicine, Singapore Medical Specialists Centre, said: "My colleagues and I have seen some increase in cases, perhaps about 10 to 20 per cent increase in cases. (These include) asthmatic patients, smokers with lung disease and heart disease patients."
As the haze worsens, Dr Chong said it is important to take note of its particle size.
The particulate matter 10 (PM10) identifies particles likely to be inhaled by humans.
"Essentially it's 10 micron in size. The particles that are bigger than 10 we don't worry too much about it because they go into the throat and lodge there. But those between 2.5 and 10 will go into your lungs and stay there," said Dr Chong.
The National Environment Agency said Singapore could still experience slight haze conditions from this week on, though some gradual improvement is expected.
Some precautionary measures doctors advise taking is to avoid exercising outdoors when the PSI is high and for those with pre-existing illnesses, such as asthma, to take more caution when they go outside.
- CNA/cc
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Haze in Singapore: 'People power' can make a difference
Nicholas Fang and Henrick Tsjeng Today Online 6 Sep 12;
Singapore has once again felt the impact of the haze blowing in from forest fires in Sumatra.
Even though our air has not reached unhealthy levels, the lowering of visibility and the rancid smoke remind us again that Singapore's clean air is something we cannot take for granted.
It is easy to point fingers and blame our southern neighbour. But this is neither productive nor responsible. It must be remembered that while the haze still strikes the region annually, much effort has been undertaken to control forest fires and Singapore in recent years has not been as adversely impacted compared to the 1997-1998 period.
Other cities in Asia, on the other hand, experience worse smog than Singapore on a more frequent basis.
Last month, Hong Kong registered its worst smog in two years, with pollution readings reaching "very high" levels and residents being warned to stay indoors.
The fact that Singapore's air quality levels are normally within the "good" range despite the latest haze illustrates that we are on the right track, although there is always room for improvement.
NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY
The Government, on its part, has been working to curb air pollution and continues to do so today.
The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources recently announced new measures, including requiring all new diesel vehicles to adopt Euro V emission standards (up from Euro IV) by January 2014, and all new petrol vehicles to adhere to Euro IV standards (up from Euro II) by April 2014.
The higher standards are significantly more stringent than their predecessors.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has also increased the reporting frequency of the Pollution Standards Index (PSI) from once a day to three times a day, and this now includes very fine particles, or PM2.5.
PM2.5 levels - finer particles that can penetrate deeper into the lungs and other organs and are considered more dangerous than fine particles, or PM10 - were previously only released on an annual basis and not included in daily air quality readings.
These efforts show the Government's commitment to maintaining good air quality. But Singapore can ill-afford to be complacent. The authorities' measures can be further boosted if the general public also does its part in promoting clean city air.
CATALYST FOR CHANGE
If citizens can organise themselves together to raise awareness of and call for cleaner air, this would lend a major boost to Government initiatives, in addition to making the authorities and the general public more aware of new air pollution problems. It could also be a catalyst for change.
The public could give the authorities greater support to amplify the effectiveness of air pollution control measures.
Last month, it was reported that the NEA was clamping down on vehicles that emit smoke. The agency is mounting video cameras in its vans to capture images of offending vehicles.
Citizens can also supplement these efforts. Pedestrians on the street can photograph and report instances where they see polluting vehicles. They could also share these photographs using social media, and reach out to a larger number of viewers. Most people, after all, carry smartphones with cameras and have ready access to the Internet.
Taking such pictures and spreading the word will not only highlight that vehicular emissions are indeed a problem, but also deter vehicle owners from flouting emission rules.
Promote green VEHICLES
In the same way, social enterprises can play a major role. The Government is conducting a trial of electric vehicles, while several manufacturers also sell a range of hybrid vehicles. However, awareness about such vehicles remains slim.
One company has taken a major step to provide rental services for electric vehicles. This will enhance the electric vehicle initiatives, in addition to letting the public try out these green vehicles and raising awareness of their utility.
These measures show us how the actions of the public can complement government measures, and put the protection of our air quality into the hands of the major stakeholders - the citizens themselves.
SIIA, along with several corporate partners, launched the Clean City Air Coalition in July, and will be hosting the SIIA-IndoChine Cocktail Fundraiser on Sept 12. The event, which will be held at the IndoChine Bar Opiume at the Asian Civilisations Museum, seeks to raise the profile of the institute's Environment and Resources Programme.
Nicholas Fang is the Director of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA). Henrick Tsjeng is a researcher at the SIIA.
Focus on the root of our haze problem
Ang Peng Hwa Today Online 16 Sep 12;
I had thought that the story about a man who searched for his car keys under a lamp post because there was light, even though that was not where he dropped them, was a fable.
Then I read the commentary "'People power' can make a difference" (Sept 6), in which the writers stated: "It is easy to point fingers and blame our southern neighbour. But this is neither productive nor responsible."
So what do they recommend as presumably more productive and responsible? "If citizens can organise themselves together to raise awareness of and call for cleaner air, this would lend a major boost to Government initiatives, in addition to making the authorities and the general public more aware of new air pollution problems."
I found the statements baffling because it is not Singaporeans - the general public or the authorities - but some from our southern neighbour whose awareness needs to be raised.
Yes, it is easier to raise awareness in Singapore, like searching for keys under a lamp post. But with all due respect to the writers and our neighbour, we should focus on where the keys really dropped.
The writers are right on one point: That Singaporeans are not entirely helpless. In 2007, when the haze was bad, a group got together to strategise some courses of action and raise funds to implement some of those strategies.
A group of students from the Wee Kim Wee School at Nanyang Technological University, where I work, came up with the name for our group, Haze Elimination Action Team. One of the courses of action, education, was reported.
Some members went to Jambi to show how some alternatives might be adopted. In the recent haze, Jambi appears to be free from the fires, as it has been in the past few years.
Another course of action is a boycott targeted at the offending companies. Today's technology makes it possible to trace paper to the tree from which it came. So, it is possible to boycott those who make the products or plant in areas cleared by burning.
The haze appears to have abated for now. But many of us are literally sick and tired from facing it so often. So, while there is no urgent need for action now, we should not wait. We should prepare the plans and then execute those plans when conditions warrant.
"People power" has worked in other countries. For a start, join the Facebook group Haze Elimination Action Team. Singaporeans' people power, deployed correctly, can make a difference.
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Philippines: 'Mystery' stick insect discovered
Matt Walker BBC Nature 4 Sep 12;
A mysterious new species of stick insect has been discovered living in the Philippines by scientists.
The stick insect is wingless, lives on the ground rather than in trees, and is spectacularly coloured, having a green-blue head and orange body.
The insect also vents a foul-smelling spray to deter predators.
The stick insect is so unique that scientists have given it its own genus and do not yet know its relationship to other stick and leaf insects.
"Recently a colleague, entomologist Oskar Conle, showed us some museum specimens of a strange-looking stick insect found several years ago on Mount Halcon, a remote locality in the Philippine island of Mindoro," explains Marco Gottardo, who is studying for a PhD at the University of Siena, Italy.
The insect was found on the third highest mountain in the archipelago, which is considered one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world.
"We were baffled. It looked so different from any other known stick insect in the world that we immediately realised it was something very special."
Mr Gottardo and colleague Philipp Heller carefully examined the specimen.
"We concluded that it represented an unknown genus and species of stick insect," Mr Gottardo told BBC Nature.
The scientists have published details of the discovery in the journal Comptes Rendus Biologies.
"The new stick insect is wingless, with a stout body and rather short legs," says Mr Gottardo.
The scientists think these features are likely to be special adaptations for living in the low-growing vegetation of a montane rainforest.
Most tree-dwelling stick insects that live in the forest canopy have slender and elongated bodies and legs, thought to provide good camouflage among stick and leaves.
"Another unique characteristic is the spectacular colour pattern. [A male] has dark bluish-green head and legs, and a bright orange body with distinctive bluish-black triangle-shaped spots on its back," he adds.
It is more likely that the insect uses these striking colours to warn off predators, rather than as a form of camouflage.
"In fact we have discovered that the new stick insect has the ability to release a potent defensive spray from glands located behind its head.
"The defensive substance is sprayed when the insect feels threatened, and has a strong distasteful smell, which likely functions to repel potential predators in a similar way to skunks," says Mr Gottardo.
Enigmatic origin
The scientists have named the insect Conlephasma enigma.
"We have named the new stick insect with the specific epithet "enigma" because its systematic position in the tree of life of stick and leaf insects remains a mystery," says Mr Gottardo.
Many of the stick insect's distinctive features are unlike those recorded on other stick insects.
One feature, however, has been seen before. The microstructures of Conlephasma enigma's mouthparts are strikingly similar to those held by another group of stick insects. The problem is that these stick insects live in tropical America, on the other side of the world, raising the question of how two insects so far apart might share a similar trait.
The researchers hope that a more detailed molecular analysis of the stick insect's genetics may shed light on its true identity.
"We also hope that the discovery of this particular new insect species may draw attention into the problem of rainforest conservation in the Philippines, which are home to unique and still poorly known wildlife," Mr Gottardo says.
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Indonesia: Another Whale Found Dead on West Java Beach
Jakarta Globe 6 Sep 12;
Cianjur, West Java. Another whale was found dead on a West Java beach on Thursday, making it the fourth whale or big fish found since July.
The black whale found on Sinar Laut beach in the southern coast of Cianjur district weighed six tons and measured 10 meters in length. The carcass was found dead in shallow water some 100 meters from the beach on Thursday morning when local residents found it as they were about to go fishing — they reportedly then pulled the carcass to the beach.
“The whale is predicted to have died one or two hours before the residents found it — it was still fresh, wasn’t rotten yet,” an Indonesian Military (TNI) officer stationed in the area, Second Lt. Assistant Muzakir, said on Thursday. He said local officials were still investigating the cause of the death.
Rahmat, 45, said the weather and seas off Cianjur had been “unfriendly” over the past few weeks, citing four meter-high waves common this time of year that often discourage local fishermen from going to sea.
Rahmat added that this was not the first time people in Cianjur have found a dead whale stranded on its beaches, saying they find one nearly every year.
But the whale found on Thursday is the second one found dead in West Java over the past couple of months, after residents found a live sperm whale stranded on a northern beach in the district of Karawang on July 28, which died shortly after it was returned to sea.
In early August, two whale sharks were stranded and died on Yogyakarta beaches in the southern coast of Java.
Antara/JG
6-tonne whale washes up on Cianjur beach
Antara 6 Sep 12;
Cianjur (ANTARA News) - A dead whale weighing about 6 tonnes washed ashore in the southern coast of Cianjur district, West Java province on Thursday.
"A lot of people arrived to see the whale and later started cutting its meat for consumption. Within a few minutes, there was no meat left on the whale`s body," said Muzakir, a local rural official.
Local security guards could not stop the large number of people from cutting the whale into pieces.
"There were not only local villagers but also inhabitants from neighbouring villages who had come on cars and motorbikes," Muzakir noted.
Jamal, a 32-year-old village man from Sindangbarang, which is situated about 50 kilometres from the beach where the whale was stranded, said he had come to get a piece of whale meat.
"Apart from my curiosity, I came here hoping to get a piece of the whale`s meat. Last year, I had done the same thing and I found that whale meat was good for my stamina," he explained.
Meanwhile, Rahmat, a 45-year-old fisherman from the same village, said the 10-metre-long whale was most likely killed after being shot by a poacher.
He stated that there were four bullet holes in the whale`s body.
"The whale is considered to be a blessing. Local people believe that whale`s meat can cure various diseases," Rahmat added.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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Indonesian Environmental Group Scores Big Win Over Illegal Oil Palm Permit
Fidelis E. Satriastanti Jakarta Globe 6 Sep 12;
Environmental activists have hailed a court decision demanding that the Aceh administration revoke an oil palm plantation permit in an ostensibly protected peat forest.
The Aceh chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said in a statement on Wednesday that the decision by the Medan State Administrative Court in neighboring North Sumatra province was a victory “for all the people of Aceh and those groups, national or foreign, concerned with saving the forests of the Tripa peat swamp.”
The ruling, handed down last Thursday, calls on the Aceh administration to scrap the permit for a 1,600-hectare concession awarded to plantation firm Kallista Alam in the Tripa area, which was included inside a deforestation moratorium map published in May 2011.
The area was later dropped from the exclusion zone in a revised map published in November that year, but Kallista’s permit was issued three months earlier, which Walhi and other environmental groups contended made it clearly illegal.
However, a suit filed by Walhi over the permit was thrown out in April this year by the Banda Aceh State Administrative Court, which claimed that it did not have the authority to rule on the case and suggested that Walhi try to reach an out-of-court agreement with Irwandi Yusuf, the Aceh governor at the time, and Kallista.
Teuku Muhammad Zulfikar, the Walhi Aceh executive director, lauded the Medan court’s decision and expressed hope that it would set a precedent for more stringent enforcement of environmental laws.
“Walhi Aceh calls on the governor of Aceh to immediately follow up by revoking the plantation permit given to Kallista Alam in the Tripa peat forest,” he said.
“We also hope that all the legal cases brought by the Environment Ministry and by civil society in relation to other companies still operating in the Tripa area will be processed thoroughly.”
Mas Achmad Santosa, an environmental legal advocate and member of a presidentially appointed task force that has also weighed in on the Tripa controversy, greeted the Medan court’s ruling as “a good sign” for the continued protection of the high-biodiversity area.
“I hope that now the Aceh administration will exercise better judgement in its decisions related to the protection of the environment, because now the world’s eyes are on Aceh,” he said.
“Whatever happens there, the world will be quick to notice.”
The Tripa forest, part of the rich Leuser Ecosystem, is home to the world’s densest population of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans and one of the few places on earth where orangutans, Sumatran tigers and sun bears can still be found living side-by-side.
Kallista has already cleared at least 30 hectares in its concession.
Nirarta Samadhi, chairman of the task force monitoring the implementation of the deforestation moratorium, also welcomed the decision and pointed out that his office had long recommended that Kallista’s permit be revoked.
“This decision confirms that we were right about this,” he said.
“We’re going to use this ruling to resume our talks with the new governor [Zaini Abdullah] so that hopefully the permit can be revoked immediately.”
While still in office late last year, Irwandi insisted that he did nothing wrong when he signed the permit, claiming that the controversy was part of a smear campaign ahead of the gubernatorial election, which he duly lost this April.
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